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Chatham Expands Sustainability Commitments & Recognition

July 7, 2016newseditor

PITTSBURGH: Chatham University announced that they have become a Charter Signatory of the Second Nature Climate Commitment to further commitments to carbon neutrality and resilience. The Climate Commitment, a signature program of Boston-based nonprofit Second Nature, requires Chatham to set climate targets, report on progress publicly, and collaborate with the surrounding community, all while integrating sustainability across the curriculum. Chatham is also a charter signatory American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (now called the Carbon Commitment), and received a Climate Leadership Award in 2013 from Second Nature for its efforts.

In addition to this latest commitment, Chatham was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an Individual Conference Champion of the 2015-16 College & University Green Power Challenge for using more green power than any other school in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. Chatham beat its conference rivals by using 12 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power, representing 97 percent of the school’s annual electricity usage. Chatham University is procuring renewable energy certificates (RECs) from Renewable Choice Energy. This demonstrates a proactive choice to switch away from traditional sources of electricity generation and support cleaner renewable energy alternatives. According to the U.S. EPA, Chatham University’s green power use of 12 million kWh is equivalent to the electricity use of nearly 1,100 average American homes annually.

Chatham is the alma mater of environmental icon, Rachel Carson, and is recognized today as a leader in sustainability and environmental education having been named a Top 50 Green College by the Princeton Review and a Top 25 “cool school” by the Sierra Club. Chatham is home to the Falk School of Sustainability, and in 2014 opened the net zero Eden Hall Campus, the first campus in the world built from the ground up for the study of sustainability.